Combination picnic tray and platter



Se t 22, 1953 I o, c, HlNTZE 2,652,702

' COMBINATION PICNIC TRAY AND PLATTER Filed June 22, 1951 Attorney Patented Sept. 22, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION PICNIC TRAY AND PLATTER Olga C. Hintze, Lowden, Iowa Application June 22, 1951, Serial No. 232,885

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a novel construction of picnic tray and platter having compartments for containing a plurality of food items together with tray portions for supporting a drinking receptacle, knife, fork, spoon and :a napkin all in a convenient and sanitary manner so that no items required to conveniently eat a meal need be placed on the ground, on a table or other unsanitary supporting surface, thus providing a device which can be conveniently employed for eating a meal while the tray and platter is positioned on the lap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination tray and platter which may be formed from a single piece of material and which may be made sufficiently light in weight so as not to be burdensome in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combination tray and platter which is so constructed that a number of the items may be conveniently stacked in a partially nested condition for convenience in storage or transportation.

Various other objects and advantages of the inventionwill hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the combination tray and platter;

Figure 2 is an edge elevational view thereof looking from the bottom to the top of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the tray and platter.

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the novel combination picnic tray and platter constituting the invention is designated generally 5 and may be formed from a blank of any suitable relatively light weight material such as certain metals or plastics. The blank or piece 6 from which the tray and platter 5 is formed is provided with a plurality of depressions which open outwardly of its upper surface 1 which may be formed by any suitable molding or stamping operation including a depression 8 at one end of the tray and platter 5 which extends transversely thereof to adjacent its side edges, forming a napkin compartment in which a folded napkin, not shown, is adapted to be disposed. 'One longitudinal wall of the compartment 8 is provided intermediate of its ends with a napkin retaining strip 9 which extends inwardly therefrom transverse- 1y of the compartment 8 and which is curved upwardly from its secured end, as best seen in Figure 3. The retaining strip 9 may be formed integral with said compartment Wall or suitably secured thereto and is spaced from the bottom surface of the compartment 8 to provide a space therebeneath in which :a portion of a napkin is adapted to be clamped and thereby releasably held against accidental or casual removal from the compartment 8.

The tray and platter 5 is provided adjacent the center thereof with an upwardly opening depression or socket 10 which is preferably circular in top plan and which is adapted to snugly receive the bottom portion of a drinking receptacle, not shown, such as a cup or glass. Surrounding the socket ill, the tray and platter 5 is provided with three food containing compartments l I, l2 and I3 each of which likewise opens upwardly of the top surface I. The compartments l2 and I3 are disposed in longitudinal alignment and are substantially the same size while the compartment 5 1 extends longitudinally of the tray and platter 5 and occupies an area thereof equal in size to the area occupied by the two compartments I2 and I3 and a partition dividing said compartments. The opposite end of the tray and platter is provided with three transversely extending longitudinally spaced depressions which are relatively narrow and of different lengths to accommodate a knife, fork and spoon, not shown, a compartment [4 constituting the knife compartment, a compartment l5 the fork compartment and a compartment 16 the spoon compartment.

The various compartments previously referred to are separated by transverse partitions I7, longitudinal partitions l8 and a circular partition i9. The adjacent ends of the longitudinal partitions l8 merge with opposite portions of the circular partition W as does the inner end of the transverse partition [1 which divides the compartments l2 and I3. Likewise, the remote ends of the longitudinal partitions [8 merge with the two transverse partitions I! and said merging partition portions are widened, as seen at 20. The partitions ll, I8 and i9 are hollow and open downwardly and increase in width from their upper surfaces, each of the partitions being approximately three times as wide at the bottom of the tray and platter as at the top surface I to form outwardly diverging opposite side walls 2! which are rounded to merge into the bottom surfaces of the different compartments, as best illustrated in Figure 3.

The partitions l1, l8 and I9 are preferably reinforced by cross braces 22 which extend between and are suitably secured to the side walls 2| thereof and which are preferably disposed adjacent the upper surfaces of said partitions so that the upper portions of the partitions of one platter and tray may nest into the open bottoms 5 of the partitions of another tray and platter for stacking a plurality of the platters and trays 5 in partially nested relationship. It will be readily apparent that the surrounding merging surfaces between the compartment bottoms and the in walls 2 I facilitate removal of eating utensils from the compartments l4, l5 and i6 and likewise enables the tray to be more readily washed and" maintained in a clean and sanitary conditions- From the foregoing it will be readily apparent 15 that separate items of food, not shownymayb'e" placed in the three tray compartments ii, 12. and I3 so that with a napkin disposed in the compartment 8, a drinking receptacle -in the+ compartment l0 and a knife, fork and spoon in the 1v compartments: M," lfiiand. respectively; the device-5 provides aivery convenient combination 'triay and platter: capable of containing. all of the .foods' and other utensils and items re-, quire'drto eata meal,.so that no item needs to be placedon an unclean table, or'upon the". ground and allfof: the itemsmay be convenientlyicarried merely-by utilizing both hands to support the tray. All of the compartments aresurrounded by a lmarginalifiangeifi which constitutes a marginal edge-portion of the tray and platter body 6.

Variousmodificationseand changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to, without department. from the spirit or s'copeof the invention as hereinafter defined by the-appendedclaims. I

I cla'imas my invention:

1. A. combination tray and platter comprising a body member having a plurality of depressions 40 opening'outwardly of an upper surfaceth'ereof including three spaced depressions forming food containing compartments, a a circular depression surrounded by -saidfood containing compartments forming a drinking recept'acle'holder, another of said depressions being disposed at one end of thebody' member and'extending transversely of-said-body member to definenapkin holding compartment,theopposite end of said body=member having' three transversely extend- 7 mg longitudinally spaced depressions forming eating utensil holding compartments; said body member being formed of fiat stock having in dentations therein forming the depressions and including downwardly opening hollow partitions separating said depressions, each of said partitions having a substantially fiat relatively narrow top surface and downwardly extending diverging side walls, and a bar formed integral with one of said partition walls and extending transversely into the napkin containing compartment and-spaced from thebottom thereof to form" anapkin retaining element, said'bar extending part way across the napkin containing compartment and having an upwardly curved inner freeendportion;

2. A combination tray and platter comprising a'bodvmeniber having a plurality of depressions opening outwardly of an upper surface thereof including three spaced depressions forming food containing compartments, a circular depression. surrounded by said food containing compartments forming a drinking receptacle" ho'lder,an.-- otherxrof: said depressions 'beingrdisp'oseci atone endrzofn-th-e body member and" "eztendi'ng. ,trans-J verselylof said body;-member to-de'ifine a napkin hoiding-llconipartment, the opposite endof said. body member having three'transversely: extends i-ng. longitudinally spaced depressions forming; eating :utensil holding compartments; said body: member being formed of plastic :and having in tegral reinforcing web membensextending.-;be-- tween the walls of the partitions adjaeent the ton surfaces thereof for bracing said partition walls.-

OLGA C-.- HINTZEL References Cited in 'thefile of this patent-- UNITED STATESPATENTS' Number Name Date D. 101,739 Blackinton Oct; 27, 1935 D. 146,69'7 Bates Apr; 29, 1947 1,186,667- Leise- June 13, 1916' 1,321,145 Price 1 -1 Nov. 11, 1919 1,595,356 Moseman Aug; 10, 1926 2,246,602 Bartsch flfl 1 May 6,1941 2,322,665 Ryan -1 .June 22, 19.415- 2,436,097 Clarke Feb;.17., 19%: 2,493,633 Mart 1 1 1111 -1 Jan. 3,1950- FOREIGN PATENTS" Number Country Date- 280,30 0 Great Britainfifin Nov. 17, 1927 677,125 France 1 Dec.. 7, 1929. 

